Skinny Dipping Anyone?

Dear old and new friends, Leaders who abound today in state, church and local communities, either elected or appointed, are usually mangers or administrators. A true leader is the one who bravely does first whatever is desired or needs to be done, and then others follow him or her. When we were young we were attracted to that daring person among us who as he took his clothes off asked, “Anyone for skinny dipping?” We who were imprisoned by our fears, social morals, church laws, parental judgment or personal embarrassment were inspired by the brave one among us who had jumped in naked…and we followed him. In your youth I’m sure you can recall such persons who because of their daring freedom were looked upon by others as a leader. The principal of this kind of liberation is awareness of the limits of what is possible, then the courage to venture a little way beyond them into what seemed impossible! The impossible can be any number of things; for example, doing something completely contrary to accepted custom. Richard Blechynden, an Englishman, had the tea concession at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. On a very hot July day not a single fairgoer was interested in a cup of hot tea. In Blechynden’s despair to save his business, as an Englishman, he did the impossible…he began selling iced tea! In these hot summer days, the next time you drink iced tea toast its inventor Richard Blechynden, and be inspired to do something impossible. To do the unachievable requires an open mind. Is your mind opened or closed? There was a debate in the House of Commons of the British Parliament in 1854 concerning a proposal for the government to fund an office for the collection and distribution of weather data. A British Royal Navy captain, Robert FitzRoy, had been urging Parliament to establish such an office for what he called “forecasting” the weather. An enthusiastic member of the House of Commons proposed such an office saying it could mean someday that they could know 24 hours in advance the weather for London! At that statement such loud, raucous and sustained laughter broke out they had to recess the proceedings. Be forewarned, since to promote the impossible can make you the target for ridicule and mocking, and therefore you must have a bulletproof heart as well as an open one. What do you think? Possible (P)…Impossible (I)…Don’t Know (DK) Two persons of the same sex can be happily married for life. – (P) or (I) or (DK) Protestants and Catholics could worship together in the same parish. – (P) or (I) or (DK) God loves atheists and agnostics as much as devout believers. – (P) or (I) or (DK) I could have a gay or transsexual person as my best friend. – (P) or (I) or (DK) After a long life I have the right to choose when and how I want to die. – (P) or (I) or (DK) I should live my life viewing death as a comma, not a period. – (P) or (I) or (DK)

Edward Hays

Haysian haphazard thoughts on theinvisible and visible mysteries of life.